Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-17
THE LAST SPIKE.
The Excursion Train Last Night-Inci-
dents at the Depot.

| ~hS L&CuTslOn Train Last N1Snt-1ucf'
| dents at the Depot.
! The excursion train going north to cele
brate the driving of the last spike on the
California and Oregon Railroad arrived
here about half-past o'clock last evening
! They were greeted at the depot by large
number of Sacramento citizens. The Sac
cramento Improvement Association turned
out, and marched to the depot headed by
| the First Artillery band. The band played
| from the balcony in front of the railroad
! offices as the train came in; also at inter
walls during the stay of the party, and then
| again as it pulled out of the depot The
reception extended by the Sacramento peo-
! pie was marked and enthusiastic, warmly
| expressive of their appreciation of the i'm
/ portance of the great work just completed,
| and of its value TO the people OF this city,
| this section, and in fact the entire coast.
The train had no more than stopped be-
fore there were loud cries for Charles
Croker, who finally responded, and made
brief speech from the platform OF his car.
He said he was happy to meet the citizens
OF Sacramento once more on an occasion
of driving last spike. He was glad TO see
that the importance of this through line
was so highly appreciated. He was once
told when citizen of Sacramento that he
could sell needles and pins, but could not
build railroads. Those people were mis-
taken, for the company. all old Sacrament
tans, continue to build roads all the same,
and propose building lots more. CHEERS
He said the people of Sacramento, the great
railroad center of California, should feel
happy over this last accomplishment. They
now had thorough lines from Portland to
New Orleans under one management.
[Cheers.]
Mayor Davis, of Oakland, made a short
speech, in which he said he knew that
every man, woman and child appreciated
the importance of the occasion when Cali
fornia and Oregon would be united by
bands OF steel. The ocean travel, so disa-
greeable, will now be thing of the past,
and the trade between the two great States
will become much more important, and in
crease the value of both sections. The
driving of the last spike means bond of
union of commerce between Washington
Territory, Idaho and Montana with Ari-
iona and New Orleans. Itmeans additional
outlets for our bursting storehouses and
granarles; 1t means prosperity and progress.
That Sacramento was to become great,
populous and wealthy city went without
mentioning. Her location, her surround
ings, her people was all that was necessary
TO make her what she is destined to be
one OF the first commercial cities of the ma
ton.
After remaining at Sacramento for about
thirty minutes the train pulled ont of the
depot amid the shouts of the hundreds as
sembled, and sped on its way to Portland.
To-DAY's CELEBRATION
The driving of the last spike will be cele-
brated in Sacramento to-day by the strik-
ing of the fire bells, which for the occasion
will be connected directly with the spike
by means of the railroad telegraph lines
and the ffre-alarm wires of this city.
Assistant Superintendent Urquhart will
arrange for this and also communicate
with the engineer of the City Water Works
when the spike is driven, and the fire
whistle will give prolonged blasts, which
will be the signal for all whistles about the
city. All the railroad company's engines
will simultaneously blow their whistles
and ring their bells, while the big
whistle of the shops will contribute
its heavy tone to the general sounds of re-
loicing. A salute will be fired by the di-
rectio1 of Colonel Guthrie, of the First
Artillery Regiment, upon receipt of the
news. All works about the city have been
requested to blow their whistles and so
also have those churches and public build
lngs having bells been asked to ring them
ana Ii any nave not been so seen by the
committee, they are invited in this public
way to do so without further formality
All citizens are asked by the committee to
run up their flags and make as general a
display of bunting as possible, that the &C.
casion may be made one of as general re-
joicing as it is possible for the citizens of
this city to do under the circumstances
The committee consists of ]. o. Coleman,
I. Q. Urquhart and w. r. Ormsby.